JAMAICA Scorpions will continue to play the positive brand of cricket that has brought them to the brink of the regional Super50 Cup title, says Captain John Campbell.

The Scorpions, who impressively defeated Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 107 runs in the semi-final on Thursday, are to oppose Barbados Pride in Saturday’s championship match at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Pride earned their spot after pulling off a dominant win of their own, dismantling the 2023 champions Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by 153 runs on Wednesday.

The day/night final contest is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm (Jamaica time).

The Scorpions’ only loss of the tournament was against Barbados Pride in their opening match of the season. But they completed the preliminary stage in fine style, registering four victories while settling for no-results in a pair of rain-drenched encounters against Guyana Harpy Eagles and the Red Force.

The Robert Haynes-coached Scorpions tallied 53 points in the preliminary table to finish behind the Red Force (63).

The Hurricanes (51 points) were third, ahead of Barbados Pride (46), Guyana Harpy Eagles (37), Windward Islands Volcanoes (35), West Indies Academy (27) and Combined Campuses and Colleges (24).

The Scorpions style has been direct and combative, oftentimes putting opponents on the back foot.

“It’s just about belief, clarity and people taking responsibility. We played some really good cricket against the Hurricanes — as we’ve been doing all tournament long,” Campbell told the Jamaica Observer when asked about the team’s approach.

“We just want to do the same things that we’ve been doing for the past few weeks. We’ve been playing good cricket; we just need to hold our nerves throughout the pressure stages of the game and we’ll do well,” he added.

Thursday’s win was a classic example of the Scorpions’ aggression, though at times it appeared it would have become their undoing.

Sent to bat first by the Hurricanes, they flew out of the blocks to reach 126-1 inside 21 overs as Campbell, who struck a 69-ball 77, and fellow left-hander Kirk McKenzie (48) added a quick-fire 114 runs for the second wicket.

Though the Scorpions must have been rattled by losing six wickets in the blink of an eye to slump to 138-7, the pair of Jeavor Royal and Javelle Glenn shoved them back into the driver’s seat with a sensationally brutal 124-run stand for the eighth wicket.

The left-hander Glenn masterfully picked his moments to blast 114 not out from 96 deliveries while Royal plundered a spellbinding, 42-ball 73 runs to tear down the Hurricanes’ mid-innings ascendancy. The Scorpions ended on an enormous 352-9 as the Hurricanes skipper and off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall took 4-67.

Staring down the barrel, the Hurricanes stuck gamely with the required rate of just over seven runs per over, but the loss of wickets seemingly each time they mounted a menacing partnership eventually led to their demise at 245 all out in the 36th over.

Kofi James (79), Jahmar Hamilton (58), and teenage batting sensation Jewel Andrew (40) all struck at better than run-a-ball, but the Scorpions’ premier pacer Marquino Mindley snared 4-46 to douse their flame.

“Kirk and I got out back to back after getting good starts and that saw two new batsmen at the cricket, which is always difficult.

“But it was a super effort from Royal, who counter-attacked and basically took down their best bowlers, and the partnership between him and Glenn was really special. Glenn’s innings was very special; he started quite slowly and got himself in and batted until the end,” Campbell said in reference to the batting effort.

He credited the bowlers for holding their nerve in the face of the Hurricanes’ belligerent run chase.

“We knew that they were going to come hard at us and [in doing so] we would get chances, because from the get-go they needed upwards of seven runs per over [to win],” he explained.

Jamaica Scorpions batsman Javelle Glenn celebrates scoring a century against Leeward Islands Hurricanes during the Super50 semi-final match at Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday. Photos: CWI Media

Zachary McCaskie (right) of Barbados Pride sweeps as wicketkeeper Amir Jangoo of Trinidad and Tobago Red Force looks on during the Super50 semi-final match at Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba on Wednesday. Photo: CWI Media

Marquino Mindley